Eoghan O'Brien

It needs to happen alongside the planning regulations.

But there also has to be enforcement mechanisms against the state agents and platforms where they are advertising properties that aren't compliant with planning law.

This isn't rocket science.

This isn't complicated.

So in the first instance, as the government has proposed, Board Falshew will do that because to get on the register, you have to demonstrate planning compliance.

And if you're engaged in short-term letting and you're not on the register, it will be an offence and you will be prosecutable.

But we also have to understand that the vast majority of short-term lets are advertised on online platforms or through state agents.

And local authorities should be able to apply an administrative fine, not unlike a parking ticket, for every single day a property is advertised that is not planning compliant.

It's very simple.

It's very straightforward.

And like I say... On the platform, the fine would be... Absolutely.

And we introduced legislation back in 2022.

The government supported it.

but they've dropped the idea.

So this is Groundhog Day.

And until we actually see the legislation, we can't be sure what the government is actually going to do.

Well, first of all, again, as you said, you haven't seen the legislation.

That will be news to the ministers for tourism and for housing because that is not currently part of the government's proposal.

In the general scheme of the register bill that went through pre-legislative scrutiny last year, there was no mention of platforms.

In the statement from the minister for housing on the planning regulations, there's no mention of the platforms.